Hi there, please see screenshot below. I would like to create a 10 gig partition for an installation of Windows XP, can someone advice me on the best way to proceed. Thanks http://www.electra.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/partitions.png

hda1 is root
hda5 is swap
hda6 is Home

1) BACKUP you home directory
2) Shrink it down
3) Create a new NTFS partition on the space you've freed for windows
4) install Windows

If QTParted can't shrink the ext3 partition then use the Mandrake paritioning program that you can find in the control centre.

Hey, I'd listen to tkedwards over just about everyone else on the Mandriva forum, but I was going to add a couple things.

When you make your new partition for Windows, you might want to make sure it's a primary partition unlike the extended ones that you have right now. OS'es tend to like to be on primary partition from what I've seen. Also, you could probably just leave those 10 gigs as free space instead of partitioning and formatting them as the Windows installer should be able to partition/format by itself.

Personally I haven't done a dual boot where I installed Windows second before. Isn't there going to be some issues with Windows installing the NT bootloader into the MBR? If so, you might have to deal with that.

Thanks for the tips :-

Using knoppix`s qtparted the option to resize home partition is ghosted, probably because the swap file is also in the extended partition.

I can`t use Mandriva Control center diskdrake as home will not un-mount.

I think it will be better to install another phyisical hard disk?

Hey, I'm not sure about this one as I've never tried it before. Can you unmount home if you enter kde by running startx as root in run level 3?

To do this, you'd put su to root in a console, then type:

init 3

wait to get to a command line, then again su to root and type:

startx

this should start up kde as root. Try to go into mcc now and see if home will unmount. I'd guess that home has to be mounted when you're running as a normal user because your home folder is in there, but root might not have that issue. Don't mess around too much while you're root because it can be a security risk.

Another way would be to just boot off the Mandriva install CD and go up to the partitioning step, this will make sure that nothing is mounted.

Forgot about that After you've installed Windows it will probably have overwritten the Linux boot loader. You can boot off the Mandrake install CD, go into rescue mode (type linux rescue at the splash screen) and select 'restore bootloader'. If that doesn't work post back here.

Great! I`ll try the install CD, it`s a bit late now so will have a go tomorrow (backups already done), yes I`ve used rescue mode to restore bootloader before after a windows install, it even provides a windows boot option along with Linux/`s

Managed to re size home partition fine but unfortunately Windows XP refused to install to this partition, although it re-wrote the MBR.

Interestingly the `Re-Install boot loader` option in Mandriva 2006 DVD`s Rescue mode was unable to re-install LILO, I had to do it manually.

su
mount -t ext3 -o rw /dev/hda1 /mnt
chroot /mnt
lilo

thanks for all your help and suggestions

Did you actually make a partition to install to or did you just leave free space for Windows? If you made a partition and it became an extended one that could cause problems.

Hi there,

I resized a larger partition creating 10gb space, then with the unused space, made a NTFS partition.

Do you think if I should have left to space unallocated and let Windows installer create the partition?

I know that Windows is capable of creating its own partitions, and I know that it will be able to create a partition that it is compatible with, so it's definitely worth a try. The partition you created may have been one that is compatible, but your home partition is an "extended" partition. If the program you use also made the ntfs an extended partition, most likely NOTHING could install to it. Operating systems like to be on primary partitions.

Yes agreed, I`ll try letting windows create the partition, see how that goes. If that does not work then Ill put another hard disk in the PC.